TVO host Steve Paikin fires back at sexual harassment allegations

A veteran journalist with Ontario’s public broadcaster fired back and denied a sexual harassment allegation made by a Toronto woman, calling the claim “complete fiction.”

Steve Paikin, host of TVOntario’s flagship current events program “The Agenda,” broke his silence Tuesday with an extensive statement on Facebook, where he said he was “gobsmacked” by the allegation outlined to him in an email from his accuser over the weekend.

“Even though I knew the allegations were 100 per cent false, I did what I suspected was the appropriate thing to do and immediately passed the email on to my superiors at TVO,” Paikin wrote. “I knew the charges were bogus, but I knew I owed it to my employer to be totally transparent about all of it.”

Paikin said he spent two hours Sunday with TVO management and its lawyers “answering every imaginable question.”

His comments come after TVO announced Monday that an independent third party will investigate the allegations, during which time Paikin will continue to host “The Agenda.”

Paikin commended the broadcaster Tuesday for bringing in the investigator, adding that “I have no doubt that a thorough and fair analysis of the allegations and the parties involved will point to the truth.”

Paikin and TVO have said the claims were mounted by former Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, who Paikin said he has known professionally for more than a decade.

In a post Friday on Thomson’s website Women’s Post, she wrote that a political talk show host, who she did not identify, “asked me if I would sleep with him” after attending a lunch at a Toronto restaurant in 2010. She said her assistant was present for the meeting.

She said she “politely” declined his offer, then went to the washroom and called her campaign manager, who advised her to leave, which she said she did.

Thomson has not responded to requests for comment from The Canadian Press.

Before Paikin released his Facebook statement, Thomson tweeted Tuesday, “Women don’t come forward because they get attacked on social media. Did Paikin go public to scare other women from coming forward? Sad how easily he’s playing people.”

The allegation comes amid a social justice movement under the #MeToo and Time’s Up banners, which has sparked an international conversation on sexual misconduct, harassment and assault.

Paikin said the movement is “too important to be undermined by spurious allegations. The only good thing about this has been receiving the huge number of emails and phone calls from people who believe me and are prepared to say so publicly.”

He said he wrote the statement independent of TVO and his lawyers, and that he has had trouble sleeping since the allegation was made.

“You’ve defamed me Sarah. I have no idea why, but you have. And I simply can’t allow that to stand,” he wrote. “The quest to reclaim my reputation, which you’ve tried to destroy, begins now. I look forward to vindication.”

Here’s his full statement:

MY TURN

February 6, 2018

Okay, now it’s my turn.

This is my response, written by me, not a committee of lawyers or spin doctors at 4 o’clock this morning. Yes, I’ve had a bit of trouble sleeping since this all came to light. And this is my statement, not my employer’s.

This past Saturday afternoon, I received an email from Sarah Thomson. I’ve known Ms Thomson for almost a decade, having covered her municipal and provincial political campaigns and seen her at various political events over the years, although I don’t believe I’ve seen or had any contact from her in several years.

To say I was gobsmacked by the allegations in her email is the understatement of my life. Even though I knew the allegations were 100% false, I did what I suspected was the appropriate thing to do and immediately passed the email on to my superiors at TVO. I knew the charges were bogus but I knew I owed it to my employer to be totally transparent about all of it.

The next day, Sunday, I spent two hours with TVO management and its lawyers answering every imaginable question. And I was happy to do it. I wanted to convince them that there’s not a shred of truth to any of this. I also appreciate the times in which we live, and given the seriousness of the allegations, understood that TVO might have to take action to protect its reputation.

To my delight, TVO has left me in the anchor chair of The Agenda. I appreciate that vote of confidence.

They also did the right thing by calling in an independent third party to investigate this mess and I welcome that investigation. Bring it on! I have no doubt but that a thorough and fair analysis of the allegations and the parties involved will point to the truth. I look forward to all parties having their say.

I find so much about this story completely perplexing. I have interviewed probably 20,000 people over the course of my 35 years in journalism.

I’ve moderated six leaders’ debates for federal and provincial elections — presumably a sign that during key moments in our country’s history, the people seeking the highest offices in our land think I’m impartial and respectable.

The #MeToo movement is too important to be undermined by spurious allegations. The only good thing about this has been receiving the huge number of emails and phone calls from people who believe me, and are prepared to say so publicly.

I’ve spent 35 years building my reputation. In one fell swoop, these lies have prompted outrageous headlines and connected me to a story to which I have no business being connected.

Well, all that ends today. Today, I begin to reclaim my reputation and fight back against these scurrilous allegations.

I mean no harm to Sarah Thomson. But Sarah, you and I both know the incident you described never happened. It’s complete fiction. To be clear, I did not have sex, suggest, request, imply, or joke about having sex with you.

Sadly, in this day and age, too many people are going to believe the lie, especially when it comes to this subject. I am mortified that in many peoples’ eyes, I have lost the presumption of innocence that I’ve previously enjoyed. But I did not do these things. There is simply no truth to these allegations.

You’ve defamed me Sarah. I have no idea why, but you have. And I simply can’t allow that to stand. The quest to reclaim my reputation, which you’ve tried to destroy, begins now. I look forward to vindication.

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